Nothing says spring like buying that first bunch of tulips of the season but if you're wild about beauty, floral products will outlast wilting buds.

With the Chelsea Flower Show approaching in May, the beauty world has gone bloomin' mad for all things floral.

MAC has collaborated with Liberty to create a range of cosmetics packing a punch with kaleidoscopic floral prints; L'Occitane has revealed a passion for peonies with a limited edition floral make-up and fragrance collection; and Dior has gone all out with bouquet references to launch the new summer floral-packed scent, Miss Dior Cherie.

In the words of Christian Dior: "Thankfully, there are flowers."

Like other brands, flowers have become emblems of fashion and beauty alike and, at this time of year, they're flourishing.

Put on your rose tinted spectacles and bask in the beauty world's floral infusion.

Blooming beauty

Banish notions of smelling like your grandma - flower-based products have come on leaps and bounds to offer both modern and traditional versatility for flower fans.

"The ultimate in nature's purity, floral fragrances have always remained the most popular style of scented products," says Bella Bellissima, fragrance designer for the Jamie at Home Scent & Savour collection.

"Floral scents can be sweet and feminine, elegantly sophisticated, creamy and voluptuous, fresh and sparkling, or dramatically mysterious."

Carnations may be cheap and cheerful enough to decorate your home, but before you go looking for cut price floral beauty, consider the origins of your products.

Bella explains: "Ingredients are so precious that the petals may have to be picked at night before the early sun evaporates their delicate scent or, as with some rarer varieties of rose, it can take more than 300,000 petals to make a single kilo of pure oil."

Bathroom bouquet

Maximise the flower power of your pampering routine by choosing scents to enhance your mood.

"Floral scented products are so attractive because they have wonderful, happy connotations," says Geraldine Howard, founder of Aromatherapy Associates.

Transport yourself into a garden of paradise while you bathe by choosing a floral to benefit your skin and mind.

"Rose, an old age symbol of love is famed for its uplifting aroma as well as being hugely beneficial to add radiance to the skin," Geraldine explains.

"Neroli is a very pretty white flower with a floral-citrus scent that is both calming to the mind and also a great soother for irritated skins. Jasmine is another little white flower with fantastic feel-good properties."

And if you want a recognisable floral to bring memories flooding back, bask in the beauty equivalent of a lavender field.

"Lavender's a trusted favourite that not only has wonderful relaxing benefits but also brings with it associations of summer, holidays and peacefulness," Geraldine says.

Floral fragrances

It's easy to walk into a florist and instantly pick out a bunch of your favourite blooms, but choosing a floral-based scent to wear on your skin can prove to be a confusing attack on the senses.

"Floral fragrances are beautiful, feminine but complex," says Kate Williams, Imperial Leather's in-house perfumery expert.

"Floral bouquets can be created using a number of different floral notes, or individual florals can be accented within a fragrance."

Don't be flummoxed by flowers. Kate offers her guide for finding a floral essence to suit your personality:

- Want to stand out from the crowd? Kate recommends trying iris or violet-based scents.

- Opt for Jasmine if you love to indulge and consider yourself confident and strong-willed, Kate recommends.

- Sentimental and caring types will fall in love with rose scents, according to Kate, especially those who embrace their feminine side.

- Always on the go? Kate says orange flower is well-matched to busy bee characters as it's associated with being up-beat, fresh and idea enhancing.

- Carnation and lily fragrances are suited to sociable fun-loving types who like to swap and change between different scents according to their mood, Kate advises.